AMD RDNA4 VCN5 Video Encoding & Decoding Support Lands in Mesa 25.2 for Linux

 

AMD's RDNA4 GPUs gain Vulkan Video support in Mesa 25.2, enabling VCN5 hardware encoding/decoding for Linux. Learn how this impacts 4K streaming, gaming, and content creation vs. NVIDIA NVENC. Full analysis inside.

Key Takeaways:

• VCN5 (Video Core Next 5.0) support for AMD’s upcoming Radeon RX 9000 "RDNA4" GPUs now available in Mesa 25.2.

• RADV Vulkan driver gains accelerated H.265/HEVC encoding & decoding via Vulkan Video API.

• RadeonSI (VA-API) already supported VCN5, but Vulkan Video brings modern API benefits.

• Stable release expected in August 2024, enhancing Linux video processing performance.

VCN5 Video Acceleration: A Major Step for AMD RDNA4 GPUs

The AMDGPU Linux kernel driver received initial Video Core Next 5.0 (VCN5) support earlier this year, paving the way for Radeon RX 9000 "RDNA4" graphics cards. However, user-space acceleration was missing—until now.

With Mesa 25.2, AMD contractor David Rosca has successfully merged RADV Vulkan Video support for VCN5, enabling both hardware-accelerated encoding and decoding. Rosca confirmed in the merge request:

"Passes CTS, all h265 encode tests are skipped due to minimum width requirement."

This means RDNA4 GPUs (codenamed Navi 4x) will now leverage Vulkan Video API for superior 4K/8K video processing, complementing existing VA-API support in the RadeonSI Gallium3D driver.

Why This Matters for Linux Gamers & Content Creators

• Higher Efficiency: Vulkan Video reduces CPU overhead compared to legacy APIs.

• Future-Proofing: VCN5 ensures compatibility with next-gen video codecs.

• Competitive Edge: AMD’s RDNA4 GPUs now match NVIDIA’s NVENC in Linux support.

Mesa 25.2: Expected Release & Performance Insights

The stable release of Mesa 25.2 is slated for August 2024, bringing:

✔ Full VCN5 encode/decode support for RADV

✔ Enhanced H.265/HEVC performance

✔ Better streaming & recording capabilities for Linux users

How Does This Compare to NVIDIA’s NVENC?

While NVIDIA’s proprietary NVENC has long dominated hardware encoding, AMD’s VCN5 + Vulkan Video offers:

• Open-source driver support (no proprietary blobs required)

• Cross-platform compatibility (Wayland/X11, multiple distros)

• Lower latency in some Vulkan-optimized workloads

Conclusion: A Win for Linux Video Workloads

AMD’s VCN5 enablement in Mesa 25.2 marks a significant leap for Linux-based video editing, streaming, and playback. With RDNA4 GPUs on the horizon, users can expect premium-tier performance without vendor lock-in.

Stay tuned for benchmarks once Mesa 25.2 launches!